Our view

Published
9:03 pm CDT, Tuesday, September 27, 2016

It was an American spectacle, one that was expected to be the most watched presidential debate in at least 36 years — as well as one of the most alcohol-infused spectator events since, well, the Super Bowl.

In the end, the presidential debate Monday won’t be remembered for its depth or the exactitude of its policy analysis. But it lived up to its billing, offering tense, showcase moments for both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Clinton and Trump spent the 90 minutes of the first presidential debate hosted by Lester Holt, anchor of NBC Nightly News, clashing over a spectrum of issues including the economy and trade policy, U.S. race relations and national security.

Trump came out strong, scoring quick early points on the economy. In particular, he had Clinton on the defensive about her waffling on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement among 12 Pacific Rim countries that Trump has opposed. “We have to stop our jobs from being stolen from us,” he said. It was a position that likely was popular among undecided voters in swing states such that have struggled with job losses.

But for much of the rest of the evening, the billionaire businessman was on his heels, beginning with his inability to offer details of his economic plan which appears to primarily consist of slashing taxes. “I call it Trumped-up trickle-down economics,” said Clinton.

Trump also struggled to explain why he has refused to release his tax returns — something every other modern presidential nominee has done — and to defend his claims that he opposed the Iraq War although the evidence shows he supported it. He also offered a rambling explanation for why he persisted up until this year with raising doubts about the legitimacy of President Barack Obama’s citizenship, despite the fact the birth certificate that he now acknowledges is real was produced five years ago.

Clinton was far from perfect, often coming across as robotic and offering little in response to Trump’s assertions that the country is “$20 trillion in debt” and its infrastructure is crumbling.

That said, it’s unlikely that the first Clinton-Trump debate is going to change many minds. Trump spoke mostly to his base in arguing that the country “is in deep trouble,” that politicians are untrustworthy and that government’s wasteful habits could use a businessman’s perspective. Clinton did what she needed to do in that she came across as knowledgeable, experienced and not afraid of a good fight.

The biggest victors may have been the fact-checkers as the claims in this presidential head-to-head probably received more vetting than in any debate staged thus far. Readers can see for themselves how much of what they heard was true by going to any number of websites, including factcheck.org.

Accuracy is critical. But ultimately the key for these debates is who will come across as more trustworthy at a time when trust in government is low and the popularity of these two candidates is even lower.